Dwayne Johnson's Next Role Could Be.. Pikachu?

It’s hard to ignore Pokemon after all these years. What seemed like a passing craze in the West 20 years ago has very steadily become an Eastern phenomenon that has evolved (no pun intended) beyond all recognition the world over. There’s just something about catching and training hundreds of cute monsters to wage battle on one another that has captured the interest of young and old alike – perhaps it’s the versatility of the games, or the fact that none of the animals depicted come to any lasting harm – either way, its mark on popular culture is no longer seen as niche. Pikachu and friends have been in the mainstream for a long time now.

So much so that reports of a live action Pikachu movie – tentatively based around Great Detective Pikachu – is now in the works. Any specific details on the production remain farily murky at present – but one source, The Hashtag Show, appears to have some idea of who may be up for voicing and portraying the famous electric mouse. It’s been suggested that a number of Hollywood leading men are being, well, suggested for the role – and while no official meetings or movements have been made at the time of writing, the names on the board just make the idea of a Pikachu movie all the more intriguing. The most interesting of these, arguably, is Dwayne Johnson.

Could One of these Actors Star in DETECTIVE PIKACHU? Credit: The Hashtag Show

Johnson is no stranger to voice acting (and he’s also one of the highest-paid and hardest-working actors in Hollywood today), but the thought of hearing his voice emanate from the cuddly yellow mouse seems fairly bizarre. Also being suggested are Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds and Mark Wahlberg – once again, three further names that, on paper, seem more than a little odd. However, all four have the skill to make Pikachu their own – even if it may well be the most bizarre casting they’ve ever had to go in for (save Wahlberg appearing in the disastrous The Happening, and Jackman having put Wolverine aside briefly to voice a foppish British rat in Flushed Away).

In any case, the concept of a Great Detective Pikachu movie just got more interesting – can you imagine the hulking Dwayne Johnson doing motion capture for Pikachu? The results could be fantastic – or so bad they’re good – either way, we really are looking forward to seeing what turns up in years to come.